Veteran plates may be displayed on any passenger-class vehicle, 1-ton pickup, or self-propelled recreational vehicle, owned or jointly owned by a veteran. Motorcycle plates are also available for Vietnam, Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, Global War on Terrorism, Proud to be a Veteran, Korean Defense, and Congressional Medal of Honor.

Most plates may be ordered with a disability decal if the applicant qualifies for disability license plates.

Members of the Minnesota National Guard: Plates may be issued to passenger class vehicles owned by a regular enlisted, commissioned, or retired member of the Minnesota National Guard. Plate fee is $10.

Gold Star Family:Gold Star License plates are available on passenger cars and motorcycles. The parent, spouse, sibling or child of a person who has died while honorably serving in active military service may apply for these plates.

The applicant must supply a certified copy of their separation papers (DD214) or equivalent, showing discharge under honorable conditions, or if still in the military, a current military ID with documentation stating they have been awarded the corresponding medal. Laos veterans (Allied Vet) will need to supply a certified copy of the Laos War Veteran Certificate or similar information

IRAQ VETERAN

To qualify an applicant's DD214 must state they are the recipient of the Iraq Campaign Medal. Applicants still on active duty must provide a letter from their commanding officer indicating where applicant served and that the applicant received the Iraq Campaign Medal. ​

​

AFGHAN VETERAN

To qualify an applicant's DD214 must state they are the recipient of the Afghanistan Campaign Medal. Applicants still on active duty must provide a letter from their commanding officer indicating where applicant served and that the applicant received the Afghanistan Campaign Medal. ​

​

​GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM

To qualify an applicant must be a veteran and a member of the National Guard or military reserve, who served in a support role, either in the United States or overseas, in an area other than Iraq or Afghanistan. Applicants must provide a copy of their DD214 that indicates they are the recipient of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary or Service Medal.

Applicants still on active duty must provide a letter from their commanding officer indicating that the applicant is still on active duty and is the recipient of the Expeditionary or Service Medal.

​

GULF WAR VETERAN

To qualify an applicant must have been issued the Southwest Asia Service Medal after August 1, 1990, for service during operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm or any other military action in the Persian Gulf. ​

​

VIETNAM VETERAN

To qualify an applicant's DD214 (or equivalent) must show dates of service between July 1, 1961 and June 30, 1978. ​

​

​KOREAN WAR VETERAN

To qualify an applicant's DD214 (or equivalent) must show dates of service between June 27, 1950 and January 31, 1955.

​

​WOMAN VETERAN PLATE

The veteran must submit a copy of their DD214 showing that they were honorably discharged from the armed services. There are no date-of-service or other medal requirements.

​

​WORLD WAR II VETERAN

To qualify an applicant's DD214 (or equivalent) must show dates of service between December 7, 1941 and December 31, 1946.

​

​PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR

To qualify the applicant must have been stationed on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, or offshore during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and provide documentation.

​

​LAOS WAR VETERAN (ALLIED VET)

To qualify the applicant's dates of service must be between July 1, 1961 and June 30, 1978.

​

BRONZE STAR VETERAN

To qualify an applicant's DD214 (or equivalent) must show they have been awarded the Bronze Star Medal. ​

​

​SILVER STAR VETERAN

To qualify an applicant's DD214 (or equivalent) must show they have been awarded the Silver Star Medal.

​

​COMBAT WOUNDED (Purple Heart)

For applicants still in, or separated from, active military service and awarded the Purple Heart. (If this is not shown on DD214, applicant must show Purple Heart eligibility through an amended document from the Veteran's Administration).

​

​EX-POW

To qualify the applicant must have been a member of the military forces of the United States and was captured, separated and incarcerated by an enemy of the United States during a period of armed conflict. The application must be verified by the commissioner of Veteran's Affairs, whose signature must appear in Section D of the application form.

​

​CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR

Medal of Honor license plates are issued to the recipients of the Medal of Honor. Original, duplicate or replacement plates are issued free of charge, and no registration tax is due. Only one set of plates may be issued. An application may only be made at the time of vehicle registration.

​

​KOREAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL

To qualify an applicant's DD214 must state they are the recipient of the Korean Defense Service Medal.

​

​ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL

To qualify an applicant's DD214 must state they are the recipient of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.

​

​MINNESOTA NATIONAL GUARD

Plates may be issued to passenger class vehicles owned by a regular enlisted, commissioned, or retired member of the Minnesota National Guard.

​

​MINNESOTA READY RESERVE

Plates may be issued to passenger class vehicles owned by a member of the United States armed forces Ready Reserve as described in United States Code, title 10, section 10142 or 10143, or a retired reserve member

​

​PROUD TO BE A VETERAN

The veteran must submit a copy of his or her DD214 showing that they were honorably discharged. There are no date-of-service or combat duty restrictions.

A one-time $30 contribution is due at the time of initial application, used for construction of the Minnesota WWII memorial. After construction costs have been paid in full, contributions are appropriated to Veteran Affairs for services and programs for veterans and their families.

​

​VETERAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS

To qualify, the applicant must be a member of the veteran service organization and, at the time of application, must submit a copy of his or her membership card.

​

​The American Legion

​

​Veterans of Foreign Wars

​

​Disabled American Veterans

Disabled American Veteran organization plates do not offer disability parking privileges, unless the vehicle owner also meets the criteria for disability plates. If the vehicle owner meets the criteria for disability plates, s/he may obtain DAV plates. The disability emblem replaces one of the numbers in the plate number sequence. See Disability License Plates Page for more information.

Gold Star license plates are available on passenger cars and motorcycles. The parent, spouse, sibling or child of a person who has died while honorably serving in active military service may apply for these plates.

Tax Manual documents are available on the Motor Vehicle Forms and Documents page, including the Calendar Year Base Value Chart, monthly tax tables, miscellaneous tax table, and an annual fee in monthly increments table.

In 2008, Minnesota began to transition to digital license plate (DLP) technology. For the past several years, Minnesota has used digital license plate technology to produce the Critical Habitat Loon and Support Our Troops license plates. In 2008, Minnesota began to transition passenger plates to DLP. Eventually, all license plates in Minnesota will be manufactured using the DLP system. Digital License Plates are flat. The license plate numbers produced for the DLP system are black. If you have questions about the DLP system, please contact DVS at (651) 284-3896.

It will take several years to transition all Minnesota plates to DLP. In the meantime, many vehicles will continue to display license plates that are made of reflectorized sheeting applied to steel or aluminum. In most cases the letter and number characters are embossed and are non-reflective.License plates issued to passenger automobiles and dealer license plates are replaced at seven (7) year intervals; all other license plates are issued for the life of the vehicle.